A retired British businessman can be extradited to the US to face charges of selling batteries to be used in Iranian surface-to-air missiles, a judge has ruled.

District Judge John Zani, sitting at City of Westminster magistrates court in London, said there was "ample evidence" to justify extraditing Christopher Tappin to Texas, where a conviction could bring a jail term of 35 years.

His supporters liken his case to that of Gary McKinnon, the British hacker whose lengthy battle against removal to America has focused attention on alleged unfairness and inconsistencies within the current UK-US extradition treaty.

Tappin, a successful businessman and president of his local golf club, argues that he was the victim of entrapment by US customs officers. The 64-year-old, who is on conditional bail, said he would challenge the decision in the high court and, if needed, the supreme court.

Speaking after the hearing Tappin said he was the victim of a "maverick" government agency in Texas. He said: "There remains clear evidence of fraud, which they have tried to cover up by implicating myself and others by means of skullduggery and misleading statements. I look forward to winning the next round of this intriguing case. I am sure that justice will eventually prevail, preferably British justice."

Tappin, who was a director of Surrey-based Brooklands International Freight Services, was arrested in August last year after a raid on his home in Orpington, south-east London.

He held a press conference to insist his innocence, saying he arranged a shipment of batteries from the US to the Netherlands at the end of 2006 with no knowledge they were destined for re-export for the manufacture of Iranian missiles.

A business contact suggested a US company handle the paperwork on the deal, Tappin said. This firm turned out to be a front for US customs agents which operated "solely to ensnare unsuspecting importers", he added. He said the £16,000 deal brought him a profit of just £300.

However, the judge ruled that the evidence indicated Tappin and his alleged co-conspirators had been "willing and apparently enthusiastic participants" in the alleged crime.

"I am not satisfied that this is a case of 'state-created' crime, nor that unlawful entrapment has taken place," Zani said.

While he acknowledged the long delay in requesting Tappin's extradition was "unfortunate", the judge added: "I am satisfied that the trial process in the United States would be able to adequately address any injustice claimed, for example, by reason of the fact that his co-conspirators have already been dealt with."

Zani also rejected arguments that Tappin's extradition should be blocked on human rights grounds because his wife is suffering from a debilitating illness.

Tappin is accused of conspiring to export defence articles without licence or approval, aiding and abetting the attempted export of defence articles without the required licence, and intentionally and unlawfully attempting to conduct financial transactions from the outside to a place inside the US with the intent to promote the carrying on of a specified unlawful activity. The alleged offences date from 2005 to January 2007.